Coach P not on the hot seat but...

[Marty Jackson]

He should notice that seat is about 10 degrees hotter than it was...

Coming into the season people had positive but I would say realistic expectations that we would be better than last year...

Losing yesterday hurts because we lost some momentum, it is a horrible loss perception wise for the league, and mostly because it shows we haven't made any ground against a middling MAC team... Not just the W-L's but the way in which we lose is the same.

Last year people gave the coach a bye... This years different.

Keep coming in below expectations and that seat is going to start getting hotter. IMO, anything less than 7-5 is short of expectations. Is 5-3 the rest of the possible? After the first 4 games I have no idea....

 

[Waquoit]

Did you see the game? The seat should be broiling. This program has no life, no juice. One reason you bring in a veteren coach is for experience, so you don't have to deal with as big a learning curve. What we see now is what we get. What good would one more year do? Are you happy with what you are seeing?

 

[uconndogs]

I don't know if anyone is inclined to post based on reality, but I'll give it a shot. Absent a complete and utter meltdown (i.e. the team checks out) Coach P has at least through next season before there is any real chance he gets replaced. Since taking over the program his teams have been competitive in just about every game they have played. Further, we should chalk up a W next weekend and go into conference play at 3-2. It's realistic that we pick up 3 or 4 wins in conference and get to a bowl. None of the Big East teams are world beaters and that includes Rutgers.

I think a lot that has gone on with the offense is borderline bizzare, but I just don't think our new AD does anything drastic through next season.

 

[SubbaBub]

We chalked up last year as the price of transition. There is no excuse for this year's performance to date. This team won the conference two years ago.

The upgrade in passing is slow but moving forward. How in the heck have we forgotten how to run the ball? That and the failure to adjust on defense against the same inferior team two years in a row is an indictment of the staff.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Marty Jackson]

Did you see the game? The seat should be broiling. This program has no life, no juice. One reason you bring in a veteren coach is for experience, so you don't have to deal with as big a learning curve. What we see now is what we get. What good would one more year do? Are you happy with what you are seeing?

Not happy at all... But I don't want to base everything on one game either.
If we go 7-5 I think we've achieved expectations.... and we'd be setting up 2013 for a nice run.

I'm assuming we beat Buffalo. A sound win there will calm the masses. Then the question is can we go 4-3 in the BE... Not sure. But if we can't then I am Right there with you thinking coach P may not be working.

Trust me. I am disappointed at yesterday's performance for lots of reasons. I want to get excited about this team. I think a lot of us were reading the headlines in December about a Uconn Defense getting the team to its second BCS.

Yesterday put a damper on things... No matter what happens. No matter who we beat. Everything will be followed by "the same Uconn team that lost to...". For us to take the next step we need to win these OOC games against 'weaker' conferences.

 

[uconndogs]

I think Marty's absolutely right on all accounts. I have no idea what to make of the rest of the conference, but USF, Cuse and Temple have shown nothing; Cincy and Pitt who knows at this point; and Louisville and Rutgers while playing decent ball are far from invincible. I suspect there are three wins there with a fourth being hard to come by. My guess.....

 

[Marty Jackson]

I don't know if anyone is inclined to post based on reality, but I'll give it a shot. Absent a complete and utter meltdown (i.e. the team checks out) Coach P has at least through next season before there is any real chance he gets replaced. Since taking over the program his teams have been competitive in just about every game they have played. Further, we should chalk up a W next weekend and go into conference play at 3-2. It's realistic that we pick up 3 or 4 wins in conference and get to a bowl. None of the Big East teams are world beaters and that includes Rutgers.

I think a lot that has gone on with the offense is borderline bizzare, but I just don't think our new AD does anything drastic through next season.

Agree.
What 4 games do we win though?
Temple? Not so sure
Syracuse? We should be favored
UofL? Unlikely
Cincy? Unlikely
Pitt? Depends who shows up for both teams. We should have a chance.
Rutgers? Maybe. Looks pretty even right now.
USF? No idea. Similar to Pitt, depends on who shows up?

No gimmes... 4-3 is not going to be easy.

 

[fortebleedsblue]

Not happy at all... But I don't want to base everything on one game either.
If we go 7-5 I think we've achieved expectations.... and we'd be setting up 2013 for a nice run.

I'm assuming we beat Buffalo. A sound win there will calm the masses. Then the question is can we go 4-3 in the BE... Not sure. But if we can't then I am Right there with you thinking coach P may not be working.

Trust me. I am disappointed at yesterday's performance for lots of reasons. I want to get excited about this team. I think a lot of us were reading the headlines in December about a Uconn Defense getting the team to its second BCS.

Yesterday put a damper on things... No matter what happens. No matter who we beat. Everything will be followed by "the same Uconn team that lost to...". For us to take the next step we need to win these OOC games against 'weaker' conferences.

Setting up next year? There is no next year... It's a rebuilding year. We lose a ton of srs from the Dline. Did anyone notice the pressure difference with out blinding last year or this last game with out Joseph and Jennimgs... Against a mid tierMac team? Next year is learning curve year for defense... We lose a ton of experience and skill/ talent. You're talking about setting up 2013. What does 2013 offer that we don't have this year? This program is laying a massive egg under HCPP.

 

[BG79]

I could tolerate coach P if they could separate him from deleone. He made a solid hire on the defensive side of the ball and with his own background there has done a solid job with it. I enjoy watching the defense, but it's the Offense that just makes me cringe each game and is the real thing holding this team back. His blind loyalty to Deleone is something that is detrimental to the team. It's basically the reason why most businesses don't allow superior/subordinate relationships, its because the judgement involved in grading the performance is going to be clouded or not applied fairly to others. PP will not properly judge Deleone and thus he wont be held responsible for his failures that Brown would be if he were failing as hard. I think the higher ups need to get in there and break it up and not allow a coach to hire his freaking BFF. I don't know the limitations of power on whether or not the head coach has exclusive rights to hiring and firing on the staff or not. But wouldnt it be substantially cheaper for them to just keep him and get rid of the real problem in the OC?

 

[ruskin]

If Manuel holds P to the same standard he's holding Ollie, I think we're now at the point where P needs 8 wins (7 plus bowl) to guarantee keeping his job. Anything less? I suspect he'll order P to replace DeLeone, and that's when things will get interesting. Transcript from Ollie press conference:

WARDE MANUEL: Well, in my mind we have a long‑term vision, I do, for Kevin. It's a short‑term challenge. I haven't seen him coach. He's never been a head coach.
As I've explained to him, in my mind as I approach this, we have a term obviously to the deal, but this is a commitment to him to see what he's like as a head coach.
It's been somewhat public with Jim and I, about the coach‑in‑waiting versus not‑a‑coach‑in‑waiting. This is a way for me to provide Kevin with an opportunity to see how he is as a head coach and to judge him on both some quantitative but a lot of qualitative aspects of what it means to coach.
Jim and I have agreed, and Kevin knows, we'll both be watching, talking about the quantitative and qualitative examples.

 

[Chief00]

I was thinking somewhat similar. Generally, coaches at Coach P's he age are the CEO type coach with able assistants in their prime. Deleone throws that model out the window - and the poor results speak for themselves. KO on the other hand is being held to a much higher standard depsite being clearly handed a rebuilding job with all kinds of restrictions from the NCAA and internally.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

LOL at the "building for next year" comment. Unless Casey Cochrane is a significant upgrade and wins the QB job, this team loses 75% of its best 12 players. three wins or less are in play for next year.

And, there is little to no chance Uconn can beat UL, Cincy, or Rutty this year (each of those teams can score more than 20 points). Temple cannot pass, maybe have a chance against them. USF who knows. Pitt's best is a lot better than Uconn's best, but its a home game at night and if the team hasn't lost 4 in a row headed to that game its a pick'em. Uconn better than Syracuse? I'm not sure. I think best case is 3 wins in conference if things fall the right way.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The next few weeks should show us quite a bit. It is very discouraging that to date PPhas not won consecutive games as our HC and it is quite disappointing that 1/4 through this season we are still seeing many flaws that should have been resolved in summer camp (false starts, missed assignments, timing errors on pass plays, miscommunications on routes) but if this gets resolved and the passing offense we saw for a lot of the second half yesterday continues, there may be hope.

I would not be surprised if there hasn't already been discussion (not necessarily with PP but between WM & SH) as to what they need to see and what options there are if they do not see what is necessary. I also would not be surprised if PP is told that he has to find a new OC (with WM knowing that if PP threatens to quit if he cannot decide his staff, WM can say "go ahead and resign").

 

[uconndogs]

If Manuel holds P to the same standard he's holding Ollie, I think we're now at the point where P needs 8 wins (7 plus bowl) to guarantee keeping his job. Anything less? I suspect he'll order P to replace DeLeone, and that's when things will get interesting. Transcript from Ollie press conference:

WARDE MANUEL: Well, in my mind we have a long‑term vision, I do, for Kevin. It's a short‑term challenge. I haven't seen him coach. He's never been a head coach.
As I've explained to him, in my mind as I approach this, we have a term obviously to the deal, but this is a commitment to him to see what he's like as a head coach.
It's been somewhat public with Jim and I, about the coach‑in‑waiting versus not‑a‑coach‑in‑waiting. This is a way for me to provide Kevin with an opportunity to see how he is as a head coach and to judge him on both some quantitative but a lot of qualitative aspects of what it means to coach.
Jim and I have agreed, and Kevin knows, we'll both be watching, talking about the quantitative and qualitative examples.

If we get to a bowl this season I will be utterly shocked if P is sent walking. I give that an almost zero probability. Even if we don't get to a bowl I think it's unlikely. I do think that P is going to be in a very uncomfortable position with regards to his long-time friend and OC. Given what I have seen there, I don't know how you can keep him around. We'll see....

 

[junglehusky]

I'm not giving up on the season yet, none of our conference opponents in the BE are Alabama level or even legit top 10 at this point in the season, every team is somewhere in the big mushy middle with the possible exception of Louisville (I didn't see their game yesterday but the score was not impressive). IF UConn can become a little more consistent on both sides of the ball we should expect to be competitive in this league... the question is how many games will we squander because the coaches waited too long to make adjustments. And at the end of the season we would have to evaluate if the philosophy (i.e. "wallpaper") is working, if it isn't we should expect some kind of changes on the staff.

 

[Skiblets]

P got a pass last year. But we're seeing the same this year. Good D. Offensive train wreck and losses to teams we shouldn't be losing to. I don't think he gets a third year if this continues.

 

[noeynox]

I've been a P supporter but the season to date has sucked. Were losing games to a Mac team two years in a row, and were losing games where we cannot muster more than points in a game. This is not good by any stretch, when you consider the back ups for sip moore, t .Williams, and Gratz and Blidi are bound to be not as good.

I still think this team can go on a run because of the D, even yesterday in the second half they forced a bunch of three and outs, but not unless it comes out of the gate already abandoning the run on first and second down approach. They are putting way too much pressure on the d to be perfect.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

In all candor I am not worried about our defense next year (assuming no regime change). I am however bothered beyond description that I have no confidence that our offense will be able to compete at the level we want next year.

 

[huskynation]

Coach is a nice guy but its clear that he's not the person who is gonna take this football program to the next level. This team is constantly unprepared. They haven't even won two games in a row since he's been coach. What's disturbing is the inconsistancy in a host of areas. One week its game planning, the next, its energy level, after that its a lack of concentration, and next week it will be technique. They constantly invent new and impressive ways to lose games. Coach p coaches not to lose. He doesn't coach to win. The team takes on that personality.

I wanna be positive, but don't just assume that the team will win 3 or 4 games in conference. I read a quote, from Carder where he said that the WMU coaches prepared them perfectly for uconn's defense "every thing was what we saw on tape, we were prepared" was the quote. Its disturbing to hear that, cause coming off an embarassing loss last season where they give up 500 yards of offensive, the coaching staff got outcoached again even worse. What makes anyone think that these big east teams are just gonna lay down to uconn, the second time around after having a chance to make adjustments from last year. Get ready for a long year. And don't just take it for granted that they will beat buffalo.

 

[jdb50]

We were on the 4 yard line, plenty of room in the end zone and we throw a rushed pass in the flat where the QB didn't wait to see if Nick was open let alone looking for it. This could have easily been a pick six as the D was on top of that play from the get go. If Whitmer takes a 7 yard drop, and we have 4 receivers spread across the end zone he has to have someone open, or run it or throw it away. Deleones call was ridiculous. We did a better job later in the game. Whitmer is still getting his feet under him in these situations. With 8 games to go a losing record will make things very difficult for the Administration especially with the tough early schedule next year. We will be playing the next 8 games for more than a bowl game. It's the reality of the situation. I like coach P and want this to work but seeing those empty seats at the Rent is not a good thing. If I was them I would be working on the deep ball to Davis and Phillips. Not being able to complete that pass is going to kill this team. We aren't close to being successful with that play yet.

 

[bigAbruns]

We were on the 4 yard line, plenty of room in the end zone and we throw a rushed pass in the flat where the QB didn't wait to see if Nick was open let alone looking for it. This could have easily been a pick six as the D was on top of that play from the get go. If Whitmer takes a 7 yard drop, and we have 4 receivers spread across the end zone he has to have someone open, or run it or throw it away. Deleones call was ridiculous. We did a better job later in the game. Whitmer is still getting his feet under him in these situations. With 8 games to go a losing record will make things very difficult for the Administration especially with the tough early schedule next year. We will be playing the next 8 games for more than a bowl game. It's the reality of the situation. I like coach P and want this to work but seeing those empty seats at the Rent is not a good thing. If I was them I would be working on the deep ball to Davis and Phillips. Not being able to complete that pass is going to kill this team. We aren't close to being successful with that play yet.

That play should have been a pass to one of the two TEs....both are Redzone threats.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Phillips is more built for middle than deep but I get your point. One encouraging thing about yesterday was that we are finally using the TE position as a threat in the passing game.

 

[FDNY99]

With the buyout $ difference of only $150,000 between letting him go Jan 1, 2013 ($750,000) and Jan 1, 2014 ($600,000) I think Manuel has some serious thinking to do...especially if we don't become bowl eligible this year.

Here are the records of the Michigan teams he was in charge of when he was an Assistant/Associate AD in Ann Arbor
1998 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1998fbt.htm
1999 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1999fbt.htm
2000 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/2000fbt.htm
2001 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/2001fbt.htm
2002 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/2002fbt.htm
2003 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/2003fbt.htm
2004 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/2004fbt.htm

I am VERY intrested to see how this whole thing plays out. My passionate fan side says I hope he cleans house and brings in a dynamic Asst looking to make a name for himself. My reality side says that P will get a 3rd season, told he has to win at least 8 games, and possibly be told to make some staff changes.
If Manuel fires P...the whole staff will most likely be out the door...with maybe a guy like Brown being retained. IMHO that should have happened the last time.

 

[pj]

Look, P is doing well on the recruiting trail, and until the injuries at DE the defense was lights out. The offense has been abysmal, but the main problem as I see it has been that the coaches weren't prepared to commit to a downfield passing game with Whitmer as full-time QB, and it appears that in the WMU game they may have realized we need that. If we do commit to the passing game I think the team will develop its offensive capabilities. At this point beating Buffalo and going 3-4 in conference to reach a bowl is a plausible outcome. But if the defense can regain its mojo and the offense can stabilize and cut down on mistakes leading to turnovers and failed plays, there's still room to do better than that.

On the other hand, if we keep trying to build on the wildcat and power running, and turn to passing only when we fall behind, then the year could be a disaster.

I do believe that DeLeone has failed as a coach this year. He should have figured out the team's identity in the spring or preseason and been building the passing game from game 1. Our offense seems to be 5-6 games behind all the other teams in development. It will be hard to catch up in the remainder of the season.

 

[UConn07]

Back to back losses to a MAC is reason enough for a firing.